BIKE HELMETS.....Do YOU wear one??

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Replies

  • kimr41
    kimr41 Posts: 219 Member
    Absolutely.

    Incidentally did you realise if you were involved in an insurance claim as a result of cycle accident you could lose because you didn't wear a helmet? Check the small print in your policies!
    What insurance policy? Health?
  • lsapphire
    lsapphire Posts: 297 Member
    I am an RN and wouldn't think about not wearing a helmet. I also wear fingerless leather gloves.:noway:
  • SwimtotheEnd
    SwimtotheEnd Posts: 69 Member
    In Australia, its against the law if you dont wear one.
  • blondie0942
    blondie0942 Posts: 146 Member

    Might not make much difference at 60 mph on a motorcycle but it certainly could at casual cycling speeds.

    Please also wear one on a motorcycle. My first husband was killed when he hit a truck that pulled out across 4 lanes of traffic when he was going about ~50mph. His autopsy showed absolutely no head trauma because of the helmet. He died of a chest injury.

    I'm sorry for your loss. my ex boyfriend almost died because an SUV turned in front of him while he was riding his motorcycle. He had no head injuries because he was wearing his helmet, but we weren't sure if he was going to live because his lungs collapsed and the rest of his organs suffered a lot of damage as well. He most definitely wouldve died if he hadn't been wearing his helmet. He was also only 2 miles from his house, just going 30mph.

    Moral of the story.....wear a helmet all the time, every time.
  • akklm05
    akklm05 Posts: 16
    Yes, always...it saved my life. I took a spill doing about 20 miles an hour, flew over the handle bars. Came down on my head and shoulder. Broke the shoulder, no injuries to the head.
  • dadof2boyz
    dadof2boyz Posts: 156 Member
    ALWAYS! And I have taught my kids to wear them whenever they are on a bike, skateboard, skating, etc... It is a life saver. A 19-year old from our neighbourhood recently took a bad spill while skateboarding and lost his life because he did not have a helmet. I had a 16-year old cousin who fell off a bicycle, landed in a ditch, struck his head and never took a breath again after. So for me it's NOT NEGOTIABLE. And whenever I bicycle past an adult or child that is not wearing them, I ALWAYS tell them they should wear them. Most time they shrug it off, but if I can impart something on to just 1 person and potential save a life, then I will keep on doing so.

    So please, do this for yourself and teach everyone you know to do the same.
  • kellystacy424
    kellystacy424 Posts: 67
    Absolutely! My father has a brain injury from falling off a roof so not helmet related, but I would never give myself better odds of having a brain injury. And if you knew anyone that has one that is pretty severe you surely would wear one all the time.
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    Hubby belongs to the "Saved by the Helmet" club. Fortunately he was wearing one when his front tire came off and he went over the front of his bike at the end of a 70 mi. ride. The helmet foam was all cracked but his head wasn't. This was before cell phones so he had to walk the last mile all scraped up. It's the law where we live now but wasn't then. If you search "saved by the helmet" most states have a club.
  • MissAshFit1989
    MissAshFit1989 Posts: 10
    It's the law in Australia so yeah, I do.
  • sagetracey
    sagetracey Posts: 607 Member
    It's the law in Australia but even so, I wouldn't be without mine, no matter where I am riding. I have had three crashes in the last year and all have been solo and at slow speeds.

    Just wish I had been wearing a helmet when I smacked my head into a very hard surface last week - but I wasn't cycling so hadn't even thought about putting it on!
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    It is the law here.
  • mikeyboy
    mikeyboy Posts: 1,057 Member
    Wear a helmet now, or wear one for the rest of your life! Easy answer.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    When I was a kid... no way! It was the 1970's-1980's - nobody wore bike helmets.

    Nowadays - I would feel naked without one. Traumatic brain injuries are ugly and complicated, and I'm going to take steps to protect my head. I'm a skilled cyclist, but there are careless people out there and accidents happen.
  • DeniseBromley
    DeniseBromley Posts: 123 Member
    Always...I'm far too clumsy to NOT wear one. I've even joked while mountain biking that I need elbow & knee pads too!
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Yes, I wear a helmet everytime I get on my bike because I value my brains and the ability to wipe myself. I'm also a former emt/firefighter and I've seen brains on asphalt and I'd prefer to keep mine intact.
  • triplestepping
    triplestepping Posts: 27 Member
    Of course! Helmets keep your brains on the INSIDE, where they belong.
  • welshcoffeeaddict
    welshcoffeeaddict Posts: 17 Member
    Yes I wear one- its law here in Aus, but as a kid (growing up in UK) I never wore one... but nobody else did either. Now I wouldn't dream of not wearing a helmet. My OH says he wouldn't if he didn't have to. But I just don't see the point in taking the risk- must admit I feel less self concious as everyone has to wear one. And I have heard comments from drivers and pedestrians toward those they see who don't... not pleasant
  • lsand
    lsand Posts: 78 Member
    YES, ALWAYS! I've seen too many accidents, and I've wiped out myself, going only 5 mph, on a tiny bit of gravel in the road! And I landed on my helmet, so I'm glad I had it on.
  • Cmonnowguys
    Cmonnowguys Posts: 361 Member
    Always wear one. I never wore it before and the one day I randomly decided to, I fell off my bike and my head slammed into the concrete and snapped back so hard that I had whiplash. If I hadn't been wearing my helmet I would've split my head open.
  • kaaatherine
    kaaatherine Posts: 9 Member
    always. My dad was in a bad crash a long time ago, and the doctor said that if he hadn't been wearing a helmet he'd have had major, irreversible brain damage. (I also always wear a helmet horseback riding, for that matter.)
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    Didn't wear one on my Harley when I lived in a state w/o a helmet law. Moved to a state w/ a helmet law so had no choice. I got a "BC Beanie". For me it gave me a real false sense of security. I was much more aware of every little thing around me w/o the helmet - I felt SO much more vulnerable - and let's face it, awareness and DEFENSE is your only defense when you're on a bike!!! There are no "fender benders" on a bike! So I prefer no helmet.

    If I don't wear one on a Harley, I surely am not going to wear one on a bicycle. (And for the same reasons.)

    And since I'm a responsible citizen I have very clearly spelled out "living will"/advanced directive/dnr papers filed with my attorney. I'm vegan but I don't want to be a vegetable! :noway:

    BTW, I was in a motorcycle accident (passenger, mind you! I never had any type of accident once I got my own bike.) where we took a curve too fast and went flying off the road at about 55 mph. The bike hit a boulder and I was literally catapulted off of it. The way I landed, had I been wearing a full helmet, my neck would have been snapped. As it was, I walked away with some ribs torn from the sternum and whiplash. So that's my anecdotal evidence AGAINST helmets. And just because it MUST be said: if you don't wear proper clothing and boots, why bother with the helmet?! Ever see these fools wearing shorts and flip flops with a big ol' full face helmet on? WTF?!

    Couldn't have said it any better. I wear a beanie too because NJ requires a helmet. The 1 accident I was in was also as a passenger, at about 35 mph, avoiding a large rock in the middle of a curve. My head didn't hit the ground, and I broke my collar bone. I would never try to tell anyone not to wear a helmet if they want, but I believe they do give people a false sense of security.
  • blueberry67
    blueberry67 Posts: 44
    We wear our helmets without fail. I don't feel it at all and i'd rather be safe than sorry. stay safe !
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
    curvykim78: I don't know where you live, but some states require helmet use by law (see: http://www.helmets.org/mandator.htm). In my work, I see stats on bicycle helmet use all the time and in the majority of cases, medical evidence proves that a bike helmet could have saved a person's life. I also had a friend die when I was 14 because he was not wearing a bike helmet and he got hit by a car--splattered his brains (literally) all over the street in front of me. Other than that, I also personally choose to wear a helmet (despite the fact that Utah has no law...which is dumb because we have one of the highest bicycle accident brain injury rates in the country) because I believe in doing everything I can to keep myself safe. If a helmet even provided me only 10% extra protection...even only 1%...I would wear one. Because that's a slightly greater chance that I could survive a crash.

    I should also mention that I was riding our parkway a few months ago and hit a patch of grit sand that caused my bicycle to go out from beneath me on a sharp curve. I hit the pavement and slammed my head against it and then kept sliding into the river. I had a severe concussion but was conscious and able to get myself out of the water. The hospital told me later that had I not been wearing a helmet I would likely have been knocked out and then drowned in the river. I am so glad that I was wearing a helmet and didn't become a statistic.
  • GlitterMamma11
    GlitterMamma11 Posts: 143 Member
    My Husband, Kids and I ALWAYS wear a helmet. They really do save lives. It drives me nuts when I see people riding their bikes with a helmet hanging on their handle bars. It's not going to do much good there! :huh:
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
    I sure do. I'd be a hypocrite if I forced my child to wear a helmet and I didn't.

    Exactly. I want to be a good example for my 5 yo so I certainly wear mine. Even if I didn't have a child it'd be a good idea.
  • reddi2roll
    reddi2roll Posts: 356 Member
    Helmet. Yes. I always wear mine even though it messes up my hair etc. I am a nurse and have seen too many people with head injuries who will never be the same to take a chance. You should look for the book "Over My Head". See: Over My Head - Welcome to Claudia Osborn's site
    www.claudiaosborn.com/Book.html
    Over My Head is the powerful story of a warrior, battling her disability and motivated by a profound desire to ... Physicians who read this book will develop a supreme appreciation for the long and difficult journey patients ... If it's morning, get up.

    The book is written by a physician who was out riding her bike and was hit by a car. Not wearing her helmet. Had a big head injury. Not able to practice medicine anymore. Requires a caregiver to assist her with memory things etc. Gives lectures about how she has learned to cope and live within her limitations.

    Even my brother, who rode his bike from Arizona to Alaska and back down the California coast was riding his bike the other day, hit a parking bumper and fell, cracked his helmet and suffered various bruises etc but HE CRACKED THE HELMET...could have been his skull.
  • emdf7a
    emdf7a Posts: 36
    Simple answer...Hell Yes I do. I never ride without one.
  • neurochamp
    neurochamp Posts: 261 Member

    Might not make much difference at 60 mph on a motorcycle but it certainly could at casual cycling speeds.

    Please also wear one on a motorcycle. My first husband was killed when he hit a truck that pulled out across 4 lanes of traffic when he was going about ~50mph. His autopsy showed absolutely no head trauma because of the helmet. He died of a chest injury.

    I'm sorry for your loss. my ex boyfriend almost died because an SUV turned in front of him while he was riding his motorcycle. He had no head injuries because he was wearing his helmet, but we weren't sure if he was going to live because his lungs collapsed and the rest of his organs suffered a lot of damage as well. He most definitely wouldve died if he hadn't been wearing his helmet. He was also only 2 miles from his house, just going 30mph.

    Moral of the story.....wear a helmet all the time, every time.

    ^This

    You don't have to be going fast - and you don't have to fall very far or hit something very hard - to cause a serious brain injury. You don't even have to be on a motorcycle. I do not ride my bicycle without a helmet, and I do not ride with people who refuse to wear helmets. Like somebody else said, you cannot control bike malfunctions, debris in the road, animals, traffic, etc., so why not just invest in a helmet that could potentially save your life? (And seriously, the "but helmets look stupid" argument is pretty lame when you're talking about the risk of traumatic brain injury or death.)



    As far as "wear a freaking helmet when you ride a motorcycle" arguments go... The younger brother of one of my close friends was in a low-speed motorcycle crash in a parking lot two years ago. He hit a small pothole that he didn't see and lost control of the bike.

    He had a helmet, but he wasn't wearing it because he wasn't riding in traffic and was only driving slowly.

    He died almost instantly (he was only 24).
  • midschool22
    midschool22 Posts: 1,267 Member
    Yes. No exceptions.
  • worthyofchange
    worthyofchange Posts: 165 Member
    Always.

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